Speed control system



' @glv NOV. 24, 1931. H H CUTLER 1,833,048

SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM Filed NOV. ll. 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l www INVENTDFQ.

AT1-Dahlem r Nov.-24, 1931. H. H. cu'rLl-:R

SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Nov. 11. 1930 2 sheetsfsneex 2 Fig-4- lll um Il i. uw

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Patented'Nov. 24, 1931 l PATENT oFFIcE HENRY H. CUTLEB, F CORAL GABIES, FLORID.

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Application led November 11, 1930. Serial No. 494,908.

My inventionV relates to distant electric control of the speed of internalcombustion engines, steam engines and the like, and has special vapplication to the control from the .'LLS wheel-house Aof the speed of two or more Diesel engines in a twin-screw or three-screw vessel, and also to the steering of such vessel 4without the use of the rudder or signalling the engine room, such control and steering l@ being eii'ected through my improved system solely .by the navigator stationed in' the wheel-house or at any other convenient point located at a distance from the engines.

In atwin-screwlDiesel engine-driven vessel, it is lhighly desirable automatically to maintain the speed of both engines the same through a wide range of variation, which range according to my system is under the control of the navigator, and also to enable thel latter tol change at will the relative speed sof the two engines in order to steer the vessel independently of the rudder. To accomplishthe foregoing object, it is necessary. to employ a governor which is more sensitive, and more capable of controlling engine speeds with a close degree of regulation, than any form of mechanical governor known today. It is essential also that means be employed to eliminate the effect of vessel vibration on electrical contacts which otherwisev would tremblepunder such vibration and cause hunting of the governor.

electrical generator driven by the prune mover, thespeed of which is to be controlled,

and electrical -means for controlling the throttle-actuating mechanism in accordance with the voltage developed by' the generator. In the preferred 'form of my invention, the means for controlling the throttle-actuating mechanism comprises a egenerator field regulator, a solenoid energized by said generator, such solenoid necessarily being sub]ect to the 45. vessel vibration and closing its circuit with unaffected by the tremblingA of the contacts of said solenoid, said relay being controlled by saidsolen'oid and in turn controllingvthe throttle-actuating magnet. The self-locka trembling contact, and a self-lockingv relay.

ing relay preferably is al double relay havingv an armature pivoted'intermediate the ends thereof ,and constructed and` arranged to open its own circuit as soon as itis energized, andto remain in one of two fixed positions. The two electromagnets of said relay have a. common armature and the connectionsv are such that the circuit of one ofsaid electromagnets is closed when the generator voltage rises, and the circuit of the other is closed when said volta e falls. Preferably a pluralit of solenoi sor governor magnets energize by the generator are employed 'and each V A1n turn controls a double self-locking relay which in turn closes the circuit of a throttleactuating magnet when. the armature of said relay is in one of two fixed positions, and l opens the same-When the armature is in the other of said fixed positions.

The drawin s which accompany and form apart o? this specification illustratel ldiagrammatically a speedycontrol -system embodying my invention, in which drawlngsv Figure 1 is a diagram ,of said speed-control system applied to a four-cylinder Diesel engine; Fig. ,A2-is an elevation partly in section of one o-f the double relays with its governor magnet which are shown conventionally in F1g.'1; o Fig. 3 is a plan view of the combined armap ture and switch of said double relay; My invention, `accordingly, comprises an 1 Fig. 4 is a central, longitudinal section Vof one "of the throttle-controlling' magnets shown conventionally in Fig. 1.

In the particular drawings selectedtomore fully disclose the principle of my invention, I have shown-my improved speed control system applied to afour-cylinder Diesel engine 10 having fuel pumps 11 andthrottle-a'ctuat ing mechanism comprising the throttle rod 12, bell crank formed of the arms 13, 14 and pivoted at 15, the connector rod 16 pivotally connected to the lthrottle rod and the 81111.13 of the bell crank, and the spring 16 for holding the arm 14 in its lowermost position and thereby pushing the throttle -arm lto its innermost position at which the throttlehas its` maximum opening. The position of the c throttle arm and the extent of the throttle 10 opening is controlled electrically in the manl ner hereinafter described. i

Mounted on the engine and driven thereby in any suitable manner, as for example, by the chain drive 17, is a Igenerator 18 which preferably is driven at one-half of its rated speed when the engine is running at onesixth of its maximum speed and at that speed develops approximately 55 volts when all of the resistance is cut out of the ield regulator 19. For example, said generator may be a 1/8 kilowatt, 10 volt generator developing 110 volts at -1000 (revolutions per minute, geared to have ten tim'es the speed of the engine so that if the maximum engine speed was 300 revolutions-per minute, the maximum generator speed would be 3000 revolutions per minute, and when said engine was running at one-sixth ofk its normal maximum speed, or revolutions per minute, the generator would havea speed of 5007revolutions per minute, or one-half of its own normal speed, at which it would generate volts, as aforesaid, with all the resistance cut out of the field regulator. If, however, the maximum speed of the engine was 600 revolutions dper minute, the generator would bev geare to have live times the speed of the engine, or a maximum speed of 3000 revolutions per minute, and at one-sixth of the maximum engine speed, or l100 revolutions per minute, the generator would have a speed of 500 revolutions per minute, or one-half of its normal speed, so that it would generate about 55 volts with all the resistance cut out ,of the filed regulator 19. It is to be understood, however, that I do not limit myselfto any particular ratio of engine to generatorV speed. The field regulator should be provided with sulicient resistance to reduce the generator voltage to 55 volts when the engine and generator are both running at maximum speed, and-to hold said voltage at approximately that value. By this arrangement my system is operative to control the enginel speed from maximum to one-sixthof maximum, a range which is suiciently wide for all practical purposes, although` it is tovbe understood that I do not limit myself in this particular.

In the present instance, the generator has a shunt field 20 connected across the brushes thereof by the lead 21 and the conductor 22, the field regulator 19 and the conductor 23.

Electrically associated with the external circuit of'said generatorlandl shown in the 1 present instance as serially connected therewith are a plurality of governor magnets 24' which in the present instance are shown as four. in number, although only one such magnet or any desired number of the same may be employed. A rheostat 25 preferably is included in the circuit of said governor magnetsfoi permanently adjusting the current supplied thereto. Each governor magnet controls a double relay 26 consisting of two electromagnets 27 27. spaced apart on the same axial line and having a common armature 28 pivoted intermediate the ends thereof on the stud 29. Each said armature carries at its ends switch members 30, 31 which are electrically, as well as mechanically, connected thereto and said switches are arranged to co-operate with the stationary contact blocks 32, 33, respectively, when said armature is in one of its two possible fixed positions, and the fixed contact members 34, 35 when said armature is in the other of its tw possible fixed positions.

Each of the governor magnets 24 is arranged to close the circuit of the lefthand magnet 27 of its double relay when the voltnet 27 of said double rela and to close the circuit of said righthan magnet 27 and ysimultaneously open that of the lefthand magnet 27 of said double relay when the voltage of said generator falls. This is accomplished in the present instance by providing the conductive heads of the casing of each magnet 24 with contacts 36, 37, respectively, with which the core 38 of each said magnet, shown in the present instance as a solenoid is arranged to co-operate. It will be apparent thatthe contacts made by said core 38 Withthe contact points 36, 37, respectively, are merely touch contacts and are not ositive, bein subject to the vibration o the vessel so t at the trembling or vibratin nonpositive contact so made would cause hunting if the lthrottle-actuating mechanism were controlled directly by the magnets 24.

It isfor this reason that I interpose between the governor ma nets and the throttlelactuating mechanism t e double relay 26, the

de-energized. i

Thus, it 'will be seen that said double relay i is self-locking and eliminates the eilect of vessel vibration on the contacts of the governor solenoid 24, thereby preventing hunting. It will be apparent'that a variety of double self-locking relays interposed between the governor magnet and the throttle-actuating mechanism may be employed for this purpose, and therefore I donot limit myself to the particular form of relay shown. In the present instance the relays 26 function as follows :When the voltage of the generator 20 rises. suiciently to cause the core 38 to make contact with the point 36, there is a circuit from the storage battery or other source of electrical energy 39 through the leads 40 v41 and 42, the core 38, Contact point 36, lead 43 electromagnet 27, contact block 33 armature'28 and leads 44, 45 back to the battery, whereupon said electromagnet 27 is encrgized andy moves said armature toward its polepieces 46, 46 (Fig. 2), thereby removing the switch 31 fromthe contact block 33, thus de-energiz'ing said magnet 27, and placing the switches 31, on the Contact blocks 35, 34, respectively. In this position said arma ture remains until the volta e of the generator falls sufficiently to ena le the core 3 8 lto make contact with the point 37, whereupon there is a circuit from the battery 39 through the leads 40, 41, and 42, said core 38, contact 37, lead 47, electromagnet 27', contact block 34, armature 28 and leads44 and`45 back to the battery. The resulting energization of the electromagnet 27 draws the armature 28 `toward the pole-pieces 48, 48, (Fig. 2) and thereby removes the Switch 30 from the contact block 34, thus opening the circuit of said electromagnet 27', and places the switches 30, 31 on the contact blocks 32, 33, respectively, in which positions they are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. -In the present instance one pole of the storage battery 39 is electrically connected to the core 38 of the governor magnet by way of the metallic casing 24 to which the lead 41 'is mechanically and electrically connected by the screw 24 and the metallic tube 24 which serves to guide said core 38 .and with which the latter is in electrical corrtact.

- The throttle-actuating mechanism is co'n- I trolled by the throttle-controlling magnets 49, herein shown as four in number,L and as of the solenoid type. .Threaded to the core of each of the solenoids 49 is a bolt 51 which 4passs'es'through an aperture in the arm 14 of lthe bell crank, and isV provided with a nut v, 52, at the lower end thereof which, by coming into contact with the under side of the arm 14 when the rsolenoid 49 is energized, causes the'bell crank to be moved in a counter- -clockwise, direction around yits pivot 15 against the tension of therspring 16. It will be noted by reference to Fig. 1 that when the throttle is fully openv the arm 14 is inclined downwardly and is held against the nut 52 on the cdre 50 of the righthand solenoid 49 and that the nuts on the cores of/the other solenoids 49 are out of contact with said arm 14 by distances progressively increasing to- 'wardl the lett so vthat as said solenoids are successively energized beginning with the right-hand solenoid` said nuts act success'ively, beginning withthe righthand nut, on saidarm14.mv

The circuits of. the throttlefcontrolling magnets 49 are opened and closed by the double self-locking relay 26 as follows: With the parts in thepositions shown in Fig. 1,

relay-26 assumes the reverse position from that shown in the`drawings in the manner above set forth, and the switches 31, 30 are placed respectively,on the contact blocks v35, 34, there will be a circuit from the battery 39, leads 40 and 53 through the lefthand magnet 49 to the contact block 35 and thence back When the armature 28 of the lefthand doubleto the battery by way of the switch 31,'armai ture-28 and leads 44, 45; and obviously the same is true of the other three solenoids 49 which are controlled, respectively, by they other three double relays 26.

While I do not limit myself toany particular -number of governor solenoids, I prefer to employ at least six and'to adj ustthe compression springs 54 disposed within the tube 24 `and surrounding the pin' 55 carried by the upper end of the core 38 by means of the washers 56 or otherwise, so that the plungers or cores 38 ofthe solenoids will be raised suilciently to close the several circuits at the contact points 36 whenthe voltage of the generator reaches, by way of example, 55, 56,' 57, 58,

" 59 and 60 volts, respectively, the righthand solenoid"24 being, in the present instance the rst to operate.

' The operation is as Ifollows: By means of compressed air stored in the tank 57 by the air compresser 58 "driven by the engine through the chain drive 59, or by other suitable means, the engine is started with the arm 60 of the field regulator on any desired contact point 61. of said regulator. The engine being under way and it lbeing desired to operate both engines of a twin-screw v`essel at the same speed, it is necessaryonly to turn the levers 60 of the field regulators until 'the speedometer in the Wheelhouse registers the same. for both engines which are then held automatically at that speed. If either engine speeds up, the voltage of the generator rises and in the manner above set forth causes the plungers 50 of the throttle-controlling solnoids to rise one after the other until they pull the throttle rod v12 suiiiciently to reduce the. speed of the fasterfrunning engine to equality with that of the other engine; and vice versa, if onev engine slows down, the voltage delivered by the generator is reduced and some of the throttle-coniI When it is desired to steer without theusel of therudder and without'signalling the engine room, the arm 60 of-one of the field regi ulators is moved to give the appropriate en-- gine a speed di'erent from that of the other with the result that the course ofthe vessel 65 .each ofthe electromagnets 49 de-energized. is changed.

Having thus described one embodiment of my invention withoutihowever limiting the same thereto, what I claim and desire t0 secure by Letters Patent is v 1. In a speed-control system, the combina'- tion with a prime mover having a throttle, throttle-actuating mechanism and an electrical generator driven by said prime mover, of means for controlling said throttle-actuating mechanism in accordance with the voltage developed by said generator, said means comprising a field regulator for controlling the voltage of said generator, a governorl magnet electrically associated with said generator, a relay controlled by said 'governormagnet, said relay being constructed and arranged to open its own circuit after the energization thereof, anda throttle-controlling magnet controlled by said relay.

v 2. In a speed-control system, the combination with a prime mover having a-throttle,

throttle-actuating mechanism and an elec.

trical generator driven by said prime mover,

of means for controlling said throttleactuat,

ing mechanism in accordance with the voltage developed by said generator, said means comprising a field regulator for said generator, a governor-magnet electrically associated with said generator, a double relay controlled by said governor-magnet, said double relay having an armature plvoted intermediate the ends thereof and constructed and arranged to open the circuit of said relay after the energization-of the latter and to remain in one of two fixed positions, and a throttle-controlv ling magnet, the circuit of said throttle controlling magnet being closed by said armature of said double relay when said armature is in one of said fixed ositions and being opened by said armature w en the same is in the other of said fixed positions.

3. A speed-control lsystem comprising in combination a prime mover, having a throttle throttle-controlling mechanism, an electricai generator driven by said prime mover, a field regulator for the said generator, a governormagnet electrically associated with said generator and responsive to changes in the voltage thereof, a double relay comprising two electromagnets, a common armature for said electromagnets, said armature being pivoted intermediate the ends thereof, connections e whereby the circuit of one of said electromagnets is closed by said governor-magnet when the voltage of said generator rises other connections whereby the circuit of the other of said electromagnets is closed when the voltage of said generator falls a throttle-controlling magnet, and connectionsrwhereby the circuit of said throttle-controlling magnet is closed and opened by the energization of said electromagnets, respectively.

`In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my n-ame this 6th day of Nov. 1930. HENRY H. CUTLER. 

